Joe Hart insists Celtic’s Champions League belief is fuelled every day and not by one 90-minute battle against Real Madrid. Ange Postecoglou’s team are heading to Poland for their second Group F examination against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Celtic lost their opening game to Real, but the level of performance during the game earned them a standing ovation from their own fans at the end of their 3-0 reverse. The positive showing offered supporters hope that Postecoglou’s team can seriously compete in the section over the remaining five matches.
But Hart says the squad take their belief from their daily workings and explained: “We’re not going to base our confidence on one game, we’re confident in what we do and we believe in it. We want to give the best account of ourselves every time we show up, that’s what is asked of us.
“We believe because of what we’ve been building and what we’ve been doing every day. We had sensational support against Real Madrid. It wasn’t to be, but we’ve just got to move forward. That’s kind of what they do, don’t they? They win Champions Leagues like that.
“Credit to them, they are an exceptional, world-class team, but we’re just trying to stay in our lane and keep on running hard. We do believe in what we do. We’ve got a superb manager, we’re all on the same team and we are ready to go, we are ready to push.
“Going away to places like Ross County, Kilmarnock, that’s what gives me fire. This club is a special club when it comes to the support, so it doesn’t need occasions like that (Madrid) for you to feel like you need to give back. I feel like as soon as I put this shirt on, I’m in a pretty special place. We will work hard, we will have our heads down and we will see where it takes us.”
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